34 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



away our bark and hide mills, improved leaches and vats, hand- 

 ling and stuffing appliances, and other improved constructions ; 

 our splitting, scouring, boarding, whitening, polishing, pebbling, 

 and other modern mechanical inventions, and our steam-power so 

 economically derived from the use of spent tan as fuel ; turn us 

 out of doors to work among the rude contrivances of a century 

 past, and would the result of our labor show an extraordinary 

 gain either in time or quality over that of our predecessors ? " 

 Any review of this development, therefore, though it is a record 

 of splendid achievements, is not one of the discovery or introduc- 



es 3 



VI 



I 



vJ^v: 



if 



W^wmf^mMm ' 



WA 



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'/Ssa i ; . 









I -3 



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M 





Fio. 1. Section of Animal Skin (magnified), a, epidermis ; b, dermis; c, corium, or base of 

 the skin ; d, fibrous tissue ; e, fat-cells ; f and gr, ducts of the sweat-gland ; h, sweat-glands ; 

 i, hair ; k, hair-bulb ; I, sebaceous gland. 



tion of new principles. It is a record of mechanical improvements 

 and business economy. 



Unfortunately, history gives lis little definite information re- 

 garding the origin of this one of the industrial arts. Surmises, 

 however, go for considerable in this case. The skins of birds and 

 animals formed a large part of the first clothing of man. Now 

 these would be found to grow hard and horny in their natural 

 state, and on exposure to moisture to become putrid and offensive. 

 Efforts to counteract this, and at the same time to render the skins 

 soft and pliable for use, would be most natural, and to these are 

 traced the beginning of the leather industry an industry which 



